With emerald green being the colour of the year for the fashion and interior design conscious of 2018, trends can pop up in arbitrary places, like that of your garden.

Garden trends that are making an appearance this year are indoor gardens, container/potted gardening as well as mango coloured flora.

The rich and vibrant colour of mango adds dimension, colour and fragrance to the garden. Marigolds are the perfect representation of the colour mango.

No annual is more vibrant or easier to grow than that of the marigold. The flower blooms brightly all summer long and even into the autumn months.

Marigolds:

• Thrive in full sunshine and can often withstand very hot summers.
• Though they grow in almost any soil, marigolds thrive in moderately fertile, well-drained soil.
• If planted in containers, soil-based potting mix should be used and space should be left for them to bloom.
• They don’t require deadheading.
• Should be watered at the base of the plant (bottom of the stem), not from overhead.
• Are known to deter pests and are usually planted with vegetables or even roses

Another trend being followed by green thumbs is container gardening.

This can be done with a mixture of plants and is a convenient way of gardening especially in areas that have small garden spaces, or no garden at all. A container garden can be created, moved and re-styled quite easily and with minimal mess.

Using different textures and heights of containers create a unique visual aesthetic and give the garden dimension. Containers can be placed on the patio, they can also come in the form of hanging baskets. Container gardening can also be created using retaining blocks or even pallet boxes.

Tip: If you are wanting to plant marigolds to add that mango-coloured flair, they are annuals, so they prefer hotter climates. If temperatures drop too low, they are likely to perish. However a plant cover otherwise known as a cold frame, may help them last slightly longer. The other option is to remove the marigolds from the garden bed and transfer them into pots and take indoors or under a sheltered area.